These guys might not exactly be carrying a lunch pail to the stadium each week, but they did bring a blue-collar, working-man approach to the weekend's games. Take a look at all the nominees, then vote on your choice for the Hardest-Working Man for Week 10.
Lance Ball, Denver Broncos
The Broncos have turned back the clock on their offense, focusing almost exclusively on a running game in a passing-heavy league. With Tim Tebow executing a read-option offense, there would be few surprises out of the ground-and-pound Broncos. However, when Willis McGahee suffered a hamstring injury and Knowshon Moreno went down with a knee injury, it meant that the third-stringer Ball would handle the bulk of the work out of the backfield, along with Tebow. Ball toted the ball 30 times for 96 yards, churning up the Chiefs' banged-up defense as the Broncos rushed for 244 yards as a team in a 17-10 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
Andre Carter, New England Patriots
Helping the Patriots avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2002 -- extending a streak to 148 games (fourth-longest in NFL history) without losing three straight -- was Carter, a newcomer to New England this season. Carter registered 4.5 sacks in a 37-16 victory over the Jets. Carter's effort on back-to-back plays midway through the fourth quarter helped boost his sack total. On a second-and-9 play and then on a third-and-15 situatiion, Carter corralled Jets QB Mark Sanchez. The 4.5 sacks are a career high for Carter, who also set a new Patriots single-game record with that total breaking the mark shared by Chris Slade and Andre Tippett (3.5 apiece).
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Fitzgerald provided a profound impact for a Cardinals team that won a third straight game, pulling off a shocker in Philly, continuing the nightmare that has been the 2011 season for the so-called "Dream Team." Cardinals QB John Skelton -- starting in place of the injured Kevin Kolb -- threw three touchdown passes, including two to Fitzgerald. However, it might have been Fitzgerald's sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch in the fourth quarter to set up the go-ahead score that was his most important play in a 21-17 Cardinals win.
Arian Foster, Houston Texans
Foster continues to be a force for an offense that is missing its star receiver, Andre Johnson. On Sunday in a 37-9 rout of the Buccaneers, Foster continued to pull double-duty for Houston, carrying the ball 17 times for 84 yards and a touchdown and also catching four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. This marked Foster's third 100-yard receiving game of the season, and that milestone has been reached in games with Johnson out.
Albert Haynesworth, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It might be a bit unusual to most to see Haynesworth's name mentioned among some of the NFL's grittiest efforts -- especially when you consider his recent history, as well as this lack of effort (watch carefully for No. 92) in a 59-28 loss to the Eagles last season. However, Haynesworth made an instant impact for his new team on Sunday. Starting for the injury-ravaged Buccaneers, Haynesworth blocked a Neil Rackers extra-point attempt following a Texans touchdown on the game's opening offensive play. It was Haynesworth's first career block of any kind (field goal, PAT, punt).
